#MyWheaton Blog

My Life as a Film Composer at Wheaton

I came to Wheaton from Hong Kong to study at the Conservatory of Music knowing little to nothing about Wheaton and what it would mean to me in terms of growth, teaching, mentoring opportunities, and friendships in the years to come.

The best thing about Wheaton is the atmosphere and the people—they are so friendly! For example, when I first asked a Conservatory of Music classmate to play a concert piece of mine, I was planning to establish a business relationship: I pay him, he plays it, he takes the money, we part ways. However, that wasn't how things went. I ended up becoming friends with him, and that's what is unique about this place. Wheaton has people who are encouraging, supportive, and who genuinely care about what you do and are happy for your accomplishments.

I've spent one-on-one lesson times with all four music composition professors in the Conservatory of Music. Private composition lessons helped me the most since they tailor the education for my specific needs. My favorite professor is Dr. Sommerville. I've had him for three years in a row now and since most of my film music is set for orchestra, I usually send him either cues or orchestrations for comments. Even though it's not related to Dr. Sommerville's work, he gives me very practical pointers and highlights the good parts. It's a constant joy learning from him.

Two summers ago, I helped with the score for my first cinema film called 暴瘋語 (Insanity) released in all major cinemas in Asia. I freelance on a regular basis. Some commissioning highlights in the U.S. include composing Beverly Hills Vista School's graduation fanfare (Los Angeles) and placing music on the Miss Indiana Pageant event. I just got hired to be the lead composer of a cinema film called Lost in Hong Kong (to be released in Hong Kong in July 2015) because of my musical ability, but more because of my attitude, according to the producer.

I'm fortunate enough to be in a place in life where I thought I would be when I'm 30 right now because of the community's constant support, individualized training, and God's grace. Thanks to Wheaton, I became a happier person and I cannot stress more how great the community here is.

Elliot Leung ’16 is a junior music composition major from Hong Kong. To experience his work, visit his website. Photo captions: Elliot conducts scoring sessions and concert music performances, visits and networks with companies including DreamWorks, and performs his pieces in a contemporary concert. Learn more about Wheaton's Conservatory of Music on their website.